Dish, Yongle reign period, 1403-1424, 2 15/16 x 15 3/4 in. (7.46 x 40.01 cm), Jingdezhen ware Porcelain with underglaze cobalt blue decor, China, 15th century, Painted with two lush peony blooms in the center, this exceptional example of early Ming blue-and-white is notable for its bold design, softness of brushwork, and subtle, controlled shading. The work exhibits the saturated 'heaped and piled' spots of intense, cobalt-blue found in the best Yongle era (1403-24) porcelains.